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Dear Alice | Interior Design
Rug Construction, Price, and Craftsmanship | An Interview with Asha Shaudray, the President and CEO of Jaipur Living
00:42:14
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- [00:00]
Alice
Foreign. Welcome to dear Alice, a lifestyle approach to interior design. Okay, we're so excited you guys. Today we have. Asha Chaudhry is the president and CEO of Jaipur Living. I'm so excited for today. We're going to learn about all things rugs. And I want to tell you a little something about Asha. Like she's just incredible. Jaipur Living is the world's largest manufacturer of hand knotted rugs. Asha was raised in India and grew up surrounded by expert weavers as her father founded Jaipur Rugs in India in 1978. So. So cool. She earned her bachelor of business administration from Emory University. Asha is a prominent leader in the business community. She serves on numerous leadership boards and was named an Ernst and Young entrepreneur of the year finalist in 2021. So cool. She's providing education, healthcare and basic human needs to its network of 40,000 artisans in 700 rural villages across India.
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Jess
Amazing.
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Alice
That's so crazy.
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Jess
So cool. So you get to be a part of that.
- [01:20]
Alice
I know those are a few quick bullets about Asha, just so you gu understand like how fantastic she is. Jper Living is the company that she runs is one of our very favorite rug vendors here at Alice Lane. It's they, I feel like artistically they always come up with some of the very best designs.
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Jess
Yeah, for sure. And just our best sellers.
- [01:40]
Alice
Our best sellers. And also I, I the collections that you guys involve just like actual artisans and their perspective on the art of rug making is just so beautiful. So we've, we're huge fans of Jaipur and we're just so excited to have you here to answer all of our rug questions. Asha, welcome.
- [01:58]
Jess
Welcome, Asha, to dear Alice.
- [02:01]
Asha Chaudhry
Thank you so much for having me and I'm excited to share more about rugs and yeah, awesome.
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Jess
Well, we have some great questions from listeners and our own team and the first one, I know when we get started with a room in our design firm, we always start from the ground up. Will choose the rug first because we often say it's the largest piece of art in the room. And rug making is described as an art form in itself. It's like a painting or a sketch. Can you walk us through what makes a handmade rug so special?
- [02:34]
Asha Chaudhry
Yes. No, Great question. And as you guys said, I was born around rugs. I've lived with rugs. I've been on looms, I've tied knots. So what's most beautiful about rug making? I would say it's like rugs in its weaving started 25 years ago and over the last 2500 years I mean we've seen so much technology come through and so much has changed in the rug world. But what has not changed is how rugs are made. And it's really the craftsmanship behind the process of making handmade rugs that I find to be so, so very beautiful. So a hand knotted rug, for example, like an 8 by 10 rug, which is not a huge rug, can have almost a million knots. And these are knots that are each tied by hand, one at a time. So that's, it's, it's, I always say it's the process of making these beautiful handcrafted rugs and the true craftsmanship and how long it takes to really truly weave these works of art, and I think you said it so well, is that they are truly art on the floor. And especially a good handmade rug. It just the process behind it is what makes it truly special.
- [03:53]
Jess
Yes, we agree and we are often trying to describe to our clients what it is that they're buying because they range in craftsmanship and price point and look can be formal or it can be more casual, but the lasting quality of a handmade rug is, is an investment that we always feel we need to really talk people into investing in a really extraordinary rug. It just lifts the entire. And I think the rooms look more expensive for sure. And the colors are just right. The patterns are so, are more interesting when they are handmade.
- [04:30]
Alice
Not only that, but just the durability of a hand knotted rug like often will outlive the owner because it's just like such a fine craftsmanship. Can you go, this is something that we're always educating our clients on. When we're working on a project of the different constructions of like hand knotted, they're just like, what is that? Can you explain? Just like a quick like little Osha 101 on the different rug constructions and how they vary, you know, in aesthetic durability, price point. I'd love to hear your feedback on, on that and a quick education.
- [05:04]
Asha Chaudhry
Absolutely. So at the highest level I say, you know, when I think about rugs, there are two big categories, machine made or handmade. You know, machine made rugs, you're producing thousands of rugs a day and you know, through technology and innovation, you know, now you have beautiful machine made rugs, but most of the time they're made of synthetic fib. Because what's most important in drugs is really the cost of the artisanship, the craftsmanship, the labor, plus the materials. So machine made rugs, you know, if you wanted something fast, quick you know, you want to change it over a few years. You know, they do a really good job. But then on the handmade side, I mean there is a wide spectrum of rugs. So you have, at the highest level you have the hand knotted rugs which are made on a loom where you're literally tying one knot at a time. And those rugs typically can take anywhere between three to eight months to weave, just on the weaving side. And you might have three artisans sitting on a loom that are making, they're trying literally one knot at a time. So that's why those rugs, obviously I always say they last for generations depending on the material that is used on those rugs. I would say wool rugs are my always all time favorites. They wear well, they're highly durable. I say wool is the most magical fiber and most under people that don't realize how easy it is to clean and wear. Then on handmade side, you also have a lot of other rugs that are made, hand tufted rugs, for example. Hand tufted rugs, they're made using a tufting gun with the canvas on a canvas. And then you'll notice that there is a backing on those hand tufted rugs. Most of the time they're really plush. Now they take on an average of about a month to two months to make. So they typically are not as expensive as the hand knotted rug. But then they're still handmade, they have an amazing plush pile. And especially if you buy a tufted rug that you know, has really good wool, good texture, I mean it lasts you for 10 plus years and again, very, very easy to clean. And then we have hand woven rugs that are sort of made on a shuttle loom. And hand woven rugs are mostly simpler, you know, simple designs, maybe a lot of textures, some diamonds, you know, but they give you a lot of depth in terms of high, low piles. And they're made on the pit loom. So again the warp and vest is coming through the loom itself. So again you're taking about a month or two months to make. So they can be slightly less expensive, again just because it takes lesser time. But then depending on the fiber that you're using, I think that's where the durability comes in as well. And whether you're using them in a very high traffic area or if you're putting it under your bed and you're okay with cash, cashmere and silk, but you know, if you're putting it under a dining room, then you want to Be sure that, you know, the cleanability and all those factors are there.
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Alice
Okay, thank you. And you kind of touched on this like with the magic of wool. As far as the cleanability, can you tell us like if, how, how would you clean a wool hand knotted rug versus like even like a wool tufted rug? Like, are there differences? How would you like?
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Asha Chaudhry
I don't know.
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Alice
I think that that's something that probably all of our listeners are just like. Okay. Because I always think a hand knotted rug makes a lot of sense in wool under a dining table because you don't have a backing and so any spills or something go all the way through. It seems easier to clean than have a. But I would love to hear your thoughts on that.
- [08:38]
Asha Chaudhry
Yeah, I always say with cleaning, the principle with rugs is extraction, meaning, you know, for example, for the easiest thing, you take a napkin and you literally just are, you know, very slowly blot it, try to take it out. And with wool rugs, you'll notice that it's pretty easy to do if you need to use a little bit of water and white wine vinegar that sometimes, you know, the white vinegar also helps with some of the stains. And then if you feel like you're going to need to use a soap, then in my mind, you know, you just have to be very, very careful. And at that point it might be better to use a professional help to take that stain out. But in essence, you'll find that wool drugs are so much easier to maintain and clean and the regular wear and tear and the spills are much easier to get out of those that product versus like, you know, if you were using a jute or a natural fiber, for example, or a silk rug for that matter. And I also say that as far as cleanability is concerned for long term care, I mean, vacuuming them two to three times a week is always super, super helpful. But professionally cleaning them once a year and also making sure you're rotating your rug, I say the ideal is six months, but we all forget, including myself.
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Jess
Rotating your rug every six months, I feel like that's new information. Yeah, definitely. And also, I mean, if it's a hand knotted rug, we all know there's a light side of the rug and a dark side. And we generally choose which way we want the rug to face during an installation. Coming into the house for a first impression of light, of color or more subdued, you know, using the lighter dark side, so rotating it, you're going to feel your rug look different in your room by rotating it every six Months. Yeah.
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Alice
Which is like a refresh.
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Jess
Yeah, totally.
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Asha Chaudhry
And what happens is. And the reason also is that, you know, you sometimes when you have direct sunlight coming in part of the rug, you'll start seeing that the rug starts to change slightly through the direct sunlight that might be doing it. So the rotation really helps to balance it and make sure that not one side of the rug feels or fades away over, like multiple years of time. So it's always a really, really good practice. And the piles and the fibers, you know, stay the same. And, you know, you might be walking or one side of the rug might be used a little bit more because of the furniture piece or, you know, might. And the good thing about wool is it doesn't take furniture pieces. It's very resilient fiber. So if you do have it, it comes back. It comes right back up. Right. Like if you had a little piece of chair that's been sitting on it, and when you rotate it, you'll notice that the pile on the other side will come right back up and you're not going to see a dent. And it just helps preserve the quality and the look and feel of the rug over time. And it's a small trick, but one that I think most people forget.
- [11:38]
Alice
So smart. We once had a. We once had a rug vendor and I remember for. And this was like probably a decade ago that he said, like, there's an energy about wool. Like when you walk on wool. He's like, there's an actual energy that you feel because of. It's like honesty and like that it's real. It's. It's a real live material.
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Jess
It's a living finish.
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Alice
And they say versus synthetic. Yeah.
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Jess
Synthetics like suck. Suck the energy from your body. Where living with real wood floors, real wool, that you actually are energized by being on top of it, which is really interesting because I know beautiful. There are so many synthetic, less expensive way of doing things, but living with living finishes gives back to us.
- [12:20]
Asha Chaudhry
I could not agree more. And I also feel that, you know, the whole. It's also a natural fiber. You know, again, it has so much depth and beauty. And also how the wool fiber takes dyes is really special. And you'll notice, like when you compare a synthetic fiber with the wool product, you'll always fine wool fiber. The way it takes the dyes, the natural abrash the sheen. Again, those are very sort of small tactical elements, but I feel like they all help to create that feeling you're talking about, which I think it's sometimes hard to put in words, but it adds to all these elements because it's such a natural way of processing and how it takes all those materials differently than sort of a synthetic fiber would. Yeah, so I'm definitely a snob for drugs. And no matter if your pets and kids, I always say that this, it's really the easiest fiber to clean and live with because of its durability, sheen, quality, and it truly upgrades the interior and elevates it to a different level than I would say a synthetic fiber ever does.
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Jess
Yeah, totally agree. We've experienced that too. Speaking of the difference between wools and synthetics and machine made and handmade, can you tell us what drives the price of the rug?
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Asha Chaudhry
That's a really good question. So I say the two biggest factors are again, the material of the rug and then how it's made. I mean, again, so as I said, synthetic fibers are always going to be cheaper than you have wool being a little bit more expensive. Then you can use silk or you know, like really premium fine yarns like cashmere, that alpaca. Again, they'll drive up the price of the rug. And then how it's made is again, just how I described a little bit. Again, if it's machine made, where, you know, again, you're producing thousands of rugs a day, you know, very affordable versus a handmade rug and depending on how long it's taken that rug. So if it's a hand knotted rug like the number of knots normally are, if you look at the back of the rug, I always say you take once I remember being a little kid and my dad used to make me that once square inch, count how many knots there were, you know, so you know, you can go from a beautiful low knot rug all the way to something that has 200 knots per square inch and it's taken eight months to weave in an 8 by 10. Now obviously the cost of that labor and the artisans so would definitely drive the price up. And so I would say those are the two biggest factors. And outside of that, you know, there's obviously a few other things, but most importantly, it's really the material and how the rug is made being the two biggest factors.
- [15:11]
Jess
Do you have any tips for our listeners on how buyers can evaluate the quality and craftsmanship when they're choosing a rug? Like if our listeners were to go out and, and look for a rug, what, like what questions should they ask? How do they understand, is there any just easy ways that they can understand the quality of rug? How do they can you educate them.
- [15:33]
Asha Chaudhry
Sure. I mean, first of all, I would always say is make sure you're buying it from a trusted source, you know, somebody you know has reputable reputation. So that's number first thing. And then secondly, I would say also think about, you know, how you're going to live with that drug. You know, are you, what space is that drug going in? And, and as you said, you have pets, kids, what is the traffic and what is your budget. And then based on that, I always say, look, even though handmade rugs have the reputation of being more expensive, you can find an amazing handmade rug at a good price and value these days because there are so many different types of constructions. So I'm a rug geek, so I always look at the back of the rug and I can tell, okay, if there is no, most of the time that it's, that's either a nice flat weave or it's a hand knotted rug. You know, if you have a canvas backing, then you'll know that it's a hand tufted rug. If, and then machine made drugs, you're able to tell pretty quickly because they don't fold too well and you know, they feel like they're synthetic. So I would say, you know, think about again where the, how you're going to use that rug, you know, a little bit about, you know, what's your budget. And then I would just say again, you know, pick a fiber that's going to last you for a long time. Think about whether you like thin rugs or you like really plush rugs. You know, touch and feel it to see if it has a soft hand. I always do the rub test again to see the shedding part because like wool as a fiber naturally will shed a little bit in the beginning, but a good wool rug will stop shedding over time. And, and you, when you do that rub test, if you have a lot of wool coming out, that means it hasn't been been, you know, that means maybe they didn't use the right length of the fibers, so exactly the right wool. And you know, so I would say look at the materials, make sure it's, you know, you can look at the construction, look at the look and feel of the rug and touch it, make sure it feels soft, it feels well made. The backing is always a good idea. And then again it's all about how you're going to use it and what space and what are your needs. Because a lot of people have different, you know, rugs can be everything from beautiful plush piles all the way to like flat weaves, which I personally love, that are thin, that doesn't mean they're not well made. It's just that they are thinner. So they have a thinner profile. And so knowing those things and asking for those ahead of time and doing a little bit of research always helps.
- [18:11]
Alice
I have a question for you because I can't remember where I learned this, but like, that there are four hand knotted, rugged, the thinner that it becomes, like not even a flat weave, but just even like a normal heim knot. The obviously, the longer, the more laborious, the more expensive that will be just because they've had to go through and shear it and do a really long process to make sure that it does get thinner and thinner and thinner to like, see the finest portion of that knot. Is that true or like, can you expound on that?
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Asha Chaudhry
Yeah. So then again, this comes back to the question of like, how many knots were in the rug. So what happens is when you have a lot of knots, so that makes the rug feel a lot tighter. It can take a lot more design. So the density feels very, very tight. And that's what gives it that very fine look and that's what makes it so much more expensive. But to your point, the finishing of the rugs is also really, really important. You'll notice that a lot of hand knotted rugs are again finished by hand. And the shearing itself sometimes can take like a week to two weeks. And especially if you see a lot of different piles, like there's a high pile, low pile, there's loop and cut, you know, the design might be carved, you know, to add a little bit of that texture and depth. Those again will all add a little bit of time, extra time in the cost of the finishing of the rug, which will again add a little bit more to the cost of the product, to your point. But yeah, the fineness really is coming from the number of knots. And that's really what's driving the price of those rugs.
- [19:52]
Alice
When I go into a rug, like a gallery and I see like these rugs that are antiques that have like lived, you know, decades, you know, over time anyway. And a lot of times it's wool and silk. You see these like rugs hanging like on the walls. Like those are, I mean, they last so long.
- [20:11]
Asha Chaudhry
And that's something. It really truly is. I will say that most of the better quality hand knotted rugs are, I call them the artisans that make them the master weavers. And for example, if you and I wanted to learn, we love weaving. And if you and I wanted to learn weaving. It might take us two years to even, like, tie one row of knotting. Like, this is really a craft that is passed from one generation to the next. So, you know, it's. It's truly very, very special. So, to your point, those rugs, that were their antiques, they were made, you know, 50, 100, 200 years ago, but even today, they look so beautiful. And, you know, they. They still have. You know, you can use them. You. They don't look old. And. And that's the quality of an amazing handout. A drug is that it will last you for a very, very long time. Maybe more than you may want it to last. You know, 20 plus years is really easy, and sometimes you could actually give it to your kids. So we don't do that anymore, but.
- [21:12]
Alice
We should bring that back. We should heirloom.
- [21:15]
Asha Chaudhry
But I feel like you're investing in a good, good piece that's going to live with you for a long time, you know, and hopefully something that, you know, feels like, you know, it's an art form on the floor as much as, you know, the walls in your house.
- [21:29]
Alice
So I love that.
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Jess
Yeah.
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Alice
Yeah, I love that.
- [21:33]
Unknown
Jess, Valentine's Day is coming up, and I have no idea what to get for Mari.
- [21:38]
Jess
Oh, I know what you could get her. Have you tried Cozy Earth's bamboo sheet set?
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Unknown
I have not.
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Jess
Okay. She's gonna die. The sheets are so silky and foxy. They have this little bit of a sheen to it, and they just redefine what it means to relax together. So even though you're giving her a gift, you're really getting a gift for yourself at the same time.
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Unknown
That's amazing.
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Jess
It is amazing. You're gonna love it. They're the smoothest, softest bedding. And here's what I like about it. Adam sleeps super, super hot. I'm always cold, but because of the sheets. These amazing bamboo sheets, they are, like, four times cooler than cotton. They're the only. Only sheet he'll sleep in, so it keeps him cool. I can put an extra layer on, and we can both sleep together. It's like a mini vacation right in your own bed. You're gonna love them.
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Unknown
We need that. We've been needing new sheets for a long time, and the best decision I've made for my sleep has been the cozier sleep mask that I got just over a year ago.
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Jess
Oh, yeah.
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Unknown
Can't sleep without it. Now I take it with me when I travel. I don't even wanna open up my eyes in the morning. Cause it just makes me feel so relaxed and has changed the way I sleep. So I'm stoked to get the.
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Jess
I love that thing. Yeah.
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Unknown
Stoked to get the sheets.
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Jess
It's so silky and yummy. I'm so happy that you have that. Well, here's another idea too. I love the Cozy Earth's bamboo pajama set. They're silky yet breathable. And she's never gonna wanna take em off. So if that's another idea too, you could get her shoes for both of you.
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Unknown
Okay.
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Jess
You could get her the pair of sheets and she can wear em to lounge or just wind down. I honestly run in there, the door, take off my work clothes, put these on.
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Unknown
This is going to be a game changer for her.
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Jess
She's going to love it. Okay, good. Yeah. So if you guys want help turning your Valentine's Day into something really special, I strongly suggest surprising your valentine or anyone you love with Cozy Earth. And you can get 40% off right now at Cozy Earth if you go to cozyearth.com Dear Alice. And you can use our code Dear Alice. That's cozy earth cozyearth.com Dear Alice. And don't forget, if you're asked in a post purchase survey, let them know you heard about Cozy Earth right here. So the best way to care for your rug, just to ensure it's going to last forever, besides vacuuming it two or three times a week, rotating it every six months, do you have any other advice on just the best way to care for it? We talked a little bit about cleaning it. Um, sometimes we see sprouting in rugs. Do you have ways of, do you just like hand trim it?
- [24:07]
Asha Chaudhry
Yeah, I would say if it's sprouting that's, that's the best thing is to hand trim it. I would say though, one more important thing just for the life of the rug is a use of a rug pad. Again, it says sometimes it becomes a secondary thought, but you know, a rug pad not only protects the rug and you know, I also say it really protects the floor. Because what happens is if you have a rug without a rug pad, over time you'll notice that your, you know, the backing of the rug might take the, whatever the top surface of the floor is, you know, it pulls that, especially if it's been sitting there for, you know, years and years. So a rug pad I would say is a really, really good investment. And they're not expensive. So making sure that you're using a really good quality rug pad and then as it comes to vacuum, as I said, vacuuming is really important. And I also say in the beginning, if you see, like, if your rug has slight curls or, you know, it's not sitting or the edges are not sitting well, you can reverse roll the rug and just keep it for 24 to 48 hours. Like just reverse roll it on the other in the opposite direction, you know, and let it stay there for about 24 to 48 hours. And you'll notice that a lot of those creases will go away because especially again, with handmade rugs, because they're made, you know, by hand. You know, sometimes it's not necessarily perfect and that imperfection is what makes it beautiful. But I would say those would be the, probably the most critical parts of keeping it, like keeping it all in a nice, clean way.
- [25:41]
Jess
Yeah. Can we talk about rug pads for one minute? Yeah, I know there's several different kinds, and I think that you use certain kinds for certain flooring. What will you tell the people your recommendations for if you're putting a rug on hardwood or stone floors versus if you're putting a rug on top of carpet? Do you have a favorite rug pad for those different uses?
- [26:04]
Asha Chaudhry
Yeah, I mean, see, all, most of them are made of the same recycled fiber. I think it's mostly the plushness of the rug pads. I mean, there is an outdoor rug pad and you know, there's a lot of these thin, cheap rug pads that come out of China. But my recommendation is use one that has a little bit of pile and softness to it. So those come in various inches. Right. Like you can get a very low profile, you know, a 0.3 inch or 0.5 inch. And I say that would depend on how much, how plush you like your rugs to feel when you step on them. So, for example, if you have a beautiful flat weave or hand woven rug that's a simple texture, you could probably put a little bit of a thicker rug pad. But if you already have a hand tufted rug that has an amazing plush pile, I would say just go for the thinner profile profile of the rug pad. So that's where I would recommend in terms of like, it's more of the profile because most of the rug pads nowadays that you see in the market are, you know, made with the same recycled material. And, you know, and they do again, last for a, for a really long time as well.
- [27:13]
Jess
Do you have any advice for our listeners on getting the right size of rug pad for their rug?
- [27:18]
Asha Chaudhry
I always like to go maybe half an inch Shorter on all edges. So if you do have an 8, and I think most rug pads are cut that way. So if you'll notice, you'll find standard sizes for rug pads on. On anywhere you're buying. So for the standard size, you can easily. If it's an 8 by 10 rug, you get an 8 by 10 rug pad. And normally you'll see it will fit pretty well. Occasionally, you know, because Handmade says 8 by 10, you might have a couple inches of difference. Then you might have to take just your cutting scissors, cut it on the edges. But it's pretty easy to do because what you don't want is to dent on the edges. If you get a rub pad that's much smaller than the rug itself, doesn't cover most of that rug.
- [28:06]
Jess
Yeah, that's good.
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Alice
Tips. Really quick on vacuuming. We've heard before about the beater brush. Like, is there a certain. Like, do you just do section only and not do the accelerated beater brush? Just, like, for the longevity of the rug. How do you do Correct?
- [28:21]
Asha Chaudhry
Because what happens with the beater brushes, it pushes the. Because rugs can obviously take a lot of dirt and stuff. So it pushes the things and it pushes the dirt underneath the surface. And then also it can sometimes pull out the pile of the rug because it can be a little harsh. So I always say do not just with vacuuming, don't use beater bar, or don't be too aggressive. Just a simple vacuum two, three times a week should really keep your rug in a beautiful condition.
- [28:55]
Alice
Thank you.
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Asha Chaudhry
Yeah. Yeah.
- [28:58]
Jess
What rug trends are you most excited about right now?
- [29:03]
Asha Chaudhry
You know, I. I always joke, you know, we say that 70% of the rugs we sell are neutrals, you know, because everybody uses a rug to tie stuff together. And what I'm so excited about is everybody's loving color, you know, and to me, it's amazing because then you truly create an art form. So. So we are seeing a lot of colors in rugs. You know, green being really important, and we're seeing people decorate, but green a lot. As, as you know, furniture shapes have changed over times. We're also seeing, like, a lot of amazing irregular sizes. And I tend. I like going to the shows in Europe. And I don't know if you've noticed, the last couple of years, including the show at Milan earlier this year, everything was like the most awkward shape in rugs that you could have imagined. And so we're also launching, like, this one shape collection. So just beautiful different shapes that kind of go around the Sofa. If you have a curved sofa or a chair that's unique, texture again continues to stay very, very important. We were just seeing how customers love the different pile heights, the high, low textures, the carvings. Again, you know, sometimes it's simple, but again it adds a lot of dimension to the room that when you walk into a room and you're, I feel like your eye always goes to the rug. So that texture again, you know, brings such a character, I would say. Another thing I've noticed also is just custom in general. Because what I've noticed is that customs as well as rug sizes, I'm noticing that homes are getting a lot bigger and sometimes, you know, you might want a 12 by 15 or larger and those are not readily available. So we're seeing that people love to customize, whether that's an odd shape or that's a rectangle or you know, a much larger size. And I, we have launched a couple of programs in custom where it's like, it doesn't have to be super expensive for you to do custom. Like you can do an amazing quality hand tufted rug that lasts 15 plus years and you can make it your own. And whether it's your own size or it's, you know, your own design or color. So I think those are some of the big trends that I've seen outside of just, you know, warmer colors, browns, caramels and less of the gray, which I think the world we've been moving in that over the last, I would say a couple of years. But in general, I always say it like we look at trends in drugs. But I say rugs have to feel timeless because you're truly living with them for such a long time. So while we evolve in our colors and how we think about it. But you know, I always believe in a beautiful timeless rug.
- [31:55]
Alice
You touched on this just barely. About just like you gave the tufted rug a year amount because we do that too. We're like, oh, tufted is like a 7 to 10 year in our, in our experience. But like, of the different reconstructions, can you say like hand knotted rug? Although they're not all created equally, some are tighter, some are looser. Like can you tell us like a power loom would guarantee you last X amount of years or tufted and hand knotted would love that.
- [32:21]
Asha Chaudhry
Absolutely. So like a machine made power loom drug, Anywhere between, I would say depending on again the wear, tear, traffic patterns, anywhere between three to seven years. I would say give and take. If you did a hand woven drugs, you are again between 5 to 10 years. Hand tufted drug, A good hand tufted drugs. I feel like tufted drugs have got a bad reputation because people started using really bad wool that starts to shed or the backing of the tufted rug is really critical. And when you use like a cheaper latex or a latex backing, again, those. So I would say a good quality hand tufted drugs, again, you're looking easily 10 plus years. And then hand knotted drugs, you're literally talking about 20 plus years in terms of value and how long it'll last you.
- [33:11]
Alice
Okay. I love that.
- [33:12]
Jess
That's great. Super helpful. Are there any specific do's or don'ts when it comes to layering rugs or placing rugs on carpet?
- [33:21]
Asha Chaudhry
Oh, okay. So maybe this is controversial. First of all, I'd say if you have carpet, please don't place rug on top of that because I feel like you have a pile. And putting another pile rug on top of the pile in my mind is just, I feel like it doesn't look aesthetically pleasing. So I would say if you're trying to layer a rug just it's better if you're doing it on a wood floor or you're starting on a surface that's clean. And then I would say start with something that's neutral, that has a beautiful texture and, and then you can layer it with color, with pattern, you know, whatever that comes to mind. But do it so that it actually adds to it and it's not taking like that they're not fighting with each other. So I always say the layering rug on with like I have one in my home currently. I have a five and a half year old and a dog. And it's, it's worked out great like having a beautiful like dew drug that has this beautiful texture. But then I have like this amazing vintage rug that you know, when we were in Turkey and I fell in love with and you know, it sort of surrounds their sofa. So. So I would say though, it's really the key is making sure they go along with each other and that you're not simplicity and the texture of the rug underneath is really important.
- [34:44]
Jess
Yeah. I always think of jute whenever I think of a layered rug. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because yeah, I think. And I think the piles are different enough that they look good together just fashionably. And it also makes it feel kind of comfortable or it like relaxing nature to jute. Definitely. Yep. It's kind of a high level.
- [35:07]
Alice
Calms a look down.
- [35:08]
Jess
Yeah.
- [35:09]
Asha Chaudhry
So yeah, I love the look of the layerings to Be honest. Yeah. To your point, let's just. Beautiful. And it also creates another dimension when you have two different, you know, sizes. And I think it adds a lot of sort of beautiful elements to the room.
- [35:24]
Alice
Okay. I have one question. Soft script. But you guys had a, you have a collection that's like, I think probably all the designers favorite collection where you actually have the weavers. And I can't remember the name of the collection, but they.
- [35:35]
Asha Chaudhry
Oh, it's called.
- [35:38]
Alice
Can you tell me about just like the initiative of that? Because I'm like everyone listeners. When we went to market, they had all these like incredibly opinionated, fashionable rugs in the window. And it was kind of the story of these weavers. And I'd love, I'd love to hear your. As far as the backdrop of that because I just think that it was, it was just a stunning, it was stunning.
- [35:57]
Asha Chaudhry
Oh, thank you. Thank you. I would say it's definitely my favorite collection. And, and the way I would describe that collection is. So we were trying to figure out how could we be more sustainable in our whole manufacturing process. So what happens is in a hand knotted rug, when you're weaving the rug, you always have a, the yarn that's left over slightly. And, and then we don't mix that yarn with a new batch of yarn because sometimes you can have a color difference. So we had all this amazing yarn, right, that's high quality, different wool, silk. We didn't know what to do with it. So we said, okay, what if we invited some of our best artisans and asked them that pick, pick whatever color you want and make whatever comes in your mind. And manchaha means from the heart, essentially. So the idea was for the artisans to make something that is from their heart. And, and what happened over a period of time initially, a lot of these artisans were like, what? I don't know, I'm not a designer, I'm not an artist, I don't know what to make. But then they started weaving some of these most incredible, incredible designs and colors that we've never kind of seen before into these rugs. And they all had a story behind it. Like they were either weaving some of them, every rug had some sort of a story and meaning behind and, and, and some of the rugs had as many as 80 different shades of color, which, you know, it just cannot be replicated again, or the intricacy of the design again can never be recreated. So that's, that's what became of Manchaha, of these, they became these beautiful, one of a kind Pieces that really came from the heart of the artist or, you know, the weaver and I call it their story from, you know, my dad starting them from when they were treated like laborers to really providing that dignity and respect to them and making them into artisans to now their journey to an artist, you know, so it's such a powerful transformation. And these drugs now have won, I would say, 22 awards.
- [38:04]
Jess
Wow. We have to put pictures.
- [38:07]
Alice
Oh, they're my favorite. They're so beautiful.
- [38:09]
Asha Chaudhry
Yeah. We can share some pictures, you guys. I think your listeners would love that. So they are so. And they. I would say they are definitely conversational pieces that are truly, like, they define the space and, you know, are truly pieces of. Of art that can never be replicated again.
- [38:26]
Jess
Yeah. I think when somebody's choosing a rug, getting something a little more opinionated and using color, these are going to make your rooms feel like an individual, but also they have this real artisan, designer quality, and it makes your home feel really original. Even if your sofa is taupe or something that's quite neutral, the. The rug really brings the art. And then we'll often choose the throw pillows for the sofa base based on what we can pull from the rug, the art in the room, the accessories, everything. It's all inspired by that energy and that feel. And so when we go to neutral and phone in it on the rug, then the room can't be as. As interesting or as extraordinary, I feel like. So the rug has the biggest job to do in the room as far as the feeling of the room. And we'll even choose paint last. We'll throw a paint deck down on all of the fabric and the rug and everything to see what's going to be the most harmonious look. But that rug as a party starter is just so crucial. So I.
- [39:29]
Alice
A lot of heavy lifting.
- [39:30]
Jess
It is. Yeah. Yeah.
- [39:31]
Asha Chaudhry
I always say you start with the rug.
- [39:33]
Jess
Yeah. Right.
- [39:35]
Asha Chaudhry
Yeah.
- [39:35]
Jess
So if you're looking for a new start in 2025 that you're wanting to change things up, start. Start with the ground, get your rug right, and be inspired by some of this real original. This real original artwork that can come out of rugs. I love that story. I do, too.
- [39:52]
Alice
That's such a beautiful space. Love that.
- [39:55]
Jess
Yeah. So good. Well, this has been really informative. We have one last question we like to ask all of our podcast listeners that come on, and we want to know, Asha, how would you define luxury?
- [40:07]
Asha Chaudhry
Oh, that's an amazing one. I would say I would define luxury as something that, you know, helps me make life beautiful in my own ways. You know, something that is comforting and grounded, yet, you know, inspires me to be who I am and the best version of myself.
- [40:31]
Jess
Beautiful answer.
- [40:32]
Alice
That's stunning. Okay, live more beautifully.
- [40:39]
Jess
Y'all so good. Well, Asha, thank you so much for coming on the podcast. I know our listeners are going to love learning from you. You're obviously the president and CEO Jaipur Living, and you've been in the industry for so long and generations too. So everyone, we're so glad we could have had that. We had Asha on what a gift. You definitely need to check out. Jaipur online is at Jaipur chaperrugs.com it's.
- [41:05]
Asha Chaudhry
Jperliving.Com on in the United States. And if you're outside of the United States and Canada, then you can check out cheekful rugs.com oh fantastic.
- [41:15]
Jess
That's great. You can get a feel for this. And we'll put some of those images of those, those artisan made. I mean, they're all artisan made rugs, but the ones that we were just talking about here so people can view those. Thanks so much for listening, everybody. Don't forget to shop up Alice Lane Home collection as a gift to our listeners. Please use code Dear Alice, 20 for 20% off your purchase. And you can send any podcast topics to Dear Alice alicelanehome.com Please go to jai for living.com to learn more about what Asha and her team are creating today. Hey, thanks for listening. If you like our show, please leave a five star rating.